Steph Curry In Tears After A 9 Year Old Girl Flips Him A Secret Letter During Match
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Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors’ star player, thought it was just another game. The crowd was electric, the players locked in, and the rhythm seamless. But that night at Chase Center would take a turn Steph never saw coming—thanks to a 9-year-old girl named Riley Morrison.
Riley wasn’t your average basketball fan. She loved the game, adored Steph Curry, and played basketball herself. But she was also someone who noticed things others often overlooked. One evening, while browsing online for a pair of Curry basketball shoes, she noticed something unsettling: there was no section for girls. Riley felt an unspoken message in that omission, as if basketball wasn’t for girls.
Instead of simply being upset, Riley decided to act. With her parents’ encouragement, she sat down at the kitchen table, pen in hand, and wrote to her hero. In neat handwriting, she addressed the letter, “Dear Mr. Curry.” Riley explained her frustration in a respectful but earnest tone, asking him to work with Under Armour to fix the problem. She ended the letter with a simple but powerful message: girls want to rock Curry shoes too.
Riley’s dad, Chris, promised to mail the letter. But fate had other plans. Days later, Riley found herself courtside at a Warriors game—a surprise birthday gift from her parents. Determined to deliver the letter herself, she clutched it tightly, waiting for the right moment. At halftime, as Steph Curry approached the bench, Riley called out, “Mr. Curry!” He turned, smiling, and took the folded piece of paper, likely assuming it was another fan note.
That letter stayed in Steph’s gym bag for a day before he finally read it. Sitting in his living room after tucking his daughters into bed, Steph unfolded the paper. Riley’s words hit him harder than any challenge on the court. As a father of two girls, he often spoke about empowering them, yet here was a glaring oversight he hadn’t considered.
“I read it and immediately felt like I’d let someone down,” Steph later admitted.
The very next day, Steph contacted his team at Under Armour, insisting they fix the issue immediately. Within weeks, Under Armour created a dedicated girls’ section for their basketball shoes. But Steph didn’t stop there—he wanted Riley to know her voice had made a difference. He invited her to help design the Curry 6, his next shoe model.
When Riley received the call, she thought it was a joke. But it was real. At Under Armour’s headquarters, Riley worked with a team of designers to create a shoe that embodied her values: confidence, courage, and equality. She added bold lines and inspirational phrases like “Girls Hoop Too.”
Months later, the Curry 6 was unveiled at a pop-up store in Oakland. Riley, the guest of honor, saw her design displayed everywhere. Standing beside Steph, she held back tears. “It’s crazy to see something I made right here,” she said.
On International Women’s Day, Riley joined Steph at center court during a Warriors game. Wearing her custom Curry 6s, she addressed the crowd, her voice steady despite the overwhelming cheers. “I just want to say thank you to Mr. Curry and Under Armour,” she began. “And to all the girls out there—don’t be afraid to speak up. You can make a difference too.”
The arena erupted in applause. Steph, standing beside her, wiped away a tear. “This is what it’s all about,” he said, later reflecting on how Riley’s letter reminded him of the power of small actions to create big change.
The ripple effect of Riley’s boldness spread far beyond basketball. Her story inspired schools and sports programs to promote inclusivity. Coaches used her example to teach players about teamwork, fairness, and challenging the status quo.
One coach, Maria Hernandez, noticed an immediate impact. “We’ve had girls drop out of basketball because they didn’t feel like they belonged,” she said. “Riley’s story gave them hope.”
Riley’s journey didn’t end with the shoes. Invitations poured in for her to speak at schools, community events, and sports conferences. At a Youth Empowerment Summit, she stood before hundreds of students, sharing her story. “I’m not special,” she said humbly. “I just believe that girls deserve to feel like they belong. And you know what? People listened.”
Her advocacy even inspired other athletes. WNBA stars, soccer players, and male athletes alike began sharing her story. Megan Rapinoe, a prominent advocate for equality in sports, praised Riley publicly. “What Riley did took guts,” Megan said. “She reminded us all that advocacy doesn’t have an age limit.”
Under Armour expanded its efforts, launching the “Girls Hoop Too” campaign and funding scholarships for young female athletes. Riley became the face of the movement, mentoring younger girls and encouraging them to dream big. One of her mentees, an 11-year-old named Kayla, later started a campaign to ensure equal funding for boys’ and girls’ sports teams at her school.
Through it all, Riley remained grounded. She still loved shooting hoops with her dad and hanging out with her friends. But now, she carried herself with a quiet confidence, knowing her voice mattered.
Months after the Curry 6s were released, Riley received a package from a young girl in Texas named Mia. Inside was a hand-drawn picture of Riley and Steph with the words “Thank you for inspiring me” written at the top. Mia’s letter read, “I always felt like basketball wasn’t for girls, but after hearing your story, I asked my parents to sign me up for a team. Thank you for showing me I belong.”
Riley kept the letter in a scrapbook, a reminder of the ripple effect her small act of courage had created. “It’s crazy to think this all started because I just wanted to see shoes in the girls’ section,” she said. “But it’s not just about the shoes anymore—it’s about making sure everyone feels included.”
Her story continued to inspire change across industries. Companies began reevaluating their products and marketing, asking themselves hard questions about inclusivity. Under Armour launched a mentorship program named “Voices of Change,” pairing young athletes with leaders in sports, design, and advocacy. Riley became the face of the program, standing beside Steph at the launch event.
“Riley’s story isn’t just about shoes or basketball,” Steph said. “It’s about listening, learning, and doing better. She taught all of us that even small actions can lead to big changes.”
Riley, now a confident leader on and off the court, concluded, “When you speak up, you inspire others to speak up too. It’s not about being famous or perfect—it’s about believing in what’s right and not being afraid to say something.”
And with that, a 9-year-old girl’s letter became a global movement for equality, proving that even the smallest voices can have the biggest impact.
SEE MORE: LeBron James says he ‘absolutely’ considered swapping the NBA for the NFL during the 2011 lockout
LeBron James has achieved almost everything you can in the NBA. But for a brief moment, it could’ve been a very different story.
James is a well-known, passionate NFL fan – he has been seen throughout the years at games involving his hometown Cleveland Browns – but during the 2011 NBA lockout, he “absolutely” considered switching the hardwood for the gridiron.
“I didn’t know when we were going to make the deal with the owners and get our league back going,” James said on Wednesday’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Super Bowl-winning brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. “So I actually thought about it a little bit back then.
“I was still young enough to get out there with y’all. That’s the only time I’ve seriously considered it. I’ve had serious dreams about this sh*t all the time. And in my dream, the ball is never kicked off. It’s me in the warmups, it’s me coming out, running my routes and right when the game starts, I f**king wake up or some sh*t. That lets me know I’m not supposed to be out there.”
NBA action stopped in 2011 due to a lockout.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
James is one of basketball’s greatest ever players, but before he was drafted into the NBA in 2003, he was a star at the high school level in both football and hoops.
He led St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to three basketball state championships while also playing wide receiver for the school, being named First Team All-State in his sophomore year.
James was even the subject of offers from some of college football’s biggest names, recalling that then-Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel’s attempted to recruit him to be a dual-sport athlete before James entered the NBA draft. He was also courted by Urban Meyer, according to ESPN.
“I walked into the school (St. Vincent-St. Mary High), the coach, Jim Meyer, great guy, probably in 1998 or ’99, and he said: ‘Hey, come here a minute. I want to show you this. What do you think of this kid?’” Urban Meyer said, according to ESPN. “I started watching the video, and I was like: ‘Oh, my God.’ He was six-foot-whatever, obviously real big back then, too.
“He asked me what I thought and I said: ‘I want to offer him right now. Who is he?’” he continued, hoping to recruit James to Notre Dame where Meyer was the wide receivers coach at the time.
Eventually, James chose a career involving hoops rather than goallines but the thought has apparently always lingered in his head.
When asked who he imagined he could have compared to if he had chosen the NFL, James highlighted some legends.
“Probably a mix between (four-time Super Bowl winner Rob Gronkowski) and Randy Moss, but he’s a lot smaller than me,” the 40-year-old explained. “He runs a lot faster than me, but he’s a lot smaller than me, but like Megatron (three-time first-team All Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson), we have that same like stature as far as like build. (Six-time first-team All Pro tight end) Tony Gonzalez, with him and his size, he played basketball as well, I used to love his celebration where he used to dunk on the goalposts.”
James’ footballing skill in high school led to many suggesting he could have a successful career in the NFL if he’d gone that route.
And when he was asked whether it would be harder to transition from the NBA to the NFL or vice versa, James said he’d put some thought into it.
“I want to say that I think it’s easier for a basketball player to try NFL over the NFL player trying to get in the NBA,” he said. “And I know we’ve got some great athletes. … (If) an NBA guy decides to go play in the NFL, yes, it’s going to take a transition period. For me, it would’ve been like getting used to getting hit again.
“I remember from high school when I would go from summertime playing basketball, playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) ball and then going into the fall and having to get used to getting hit again. Those first few practices when you put on them shoulder pads and the helmets, getting hit again is the most important thing.
“Football going to basketball, it’s such more coordination and running and jumping, consistent,” he added, while also saying he believed current NBA players Russell Westbrook or Anthony Edwards would have the most success swapping to the NFL.
